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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010 : The Red Crab Cafe

“I can’t believe we’re having crabs for merienda (afternoon snack)!”, my sister exclaimed. She was actually saying this while happily pulling out the juicy crabmeat from the plump crab claw on her hand.

Yes, wanting to unwind and relax with Paul and my sister, I invited them to what was supposed to be a late lunch turned into our afternoon snack at Red Crab Café at the Gateway Mall. We were warmly welcomed by the restaurant supervisor and after telling him that we would like to try their Raymund’s Salt and Pepper Crab Set by Chef Jeff Diesmos, he then asked us for our drinks and told us what to expect for this meal.

First was a bowl of Caesar Salad. Unlike the usual creamy salad that we have grown accustomed to, this one has a sweet note to it. We think it comes from the dressing. The serving was pretty generous that it was good enough for our party of three. The salad was pretty straight-forward which would be good for those who are not very adventurous when it comes to their veggies. It has just the right amount of creaminess as the dressing coats each leaf.

Next was the star of our meal – Salt and Pepper Crabs. We all loved the crispy deep fried coating and the juicy crabmeat that we get in every bite. No need for any sauce as each piece was already bursting with so much flavor that will encourage you to reach out for more. Our crab was pretty big, probably around 800 grams heavy and yet, three happy diners were able to wipe our crab platter clean! No leftovers, this time!

The crab was very filling but we were also very excited about dessert. After wiping our hands clean, out came our dessert -- a slice of Sansrival which has successfully won the approval of Paul, who was never a fan of this creamy meringue dessert.

We enjoyed our dessert with a glass of chilled Castillero del Diablo red wine. I am not really a fan of red wine but I love how smooth the chilled wine feeling as it went down my throat.

That was our Saturday afternoon snack, we have definitely went a notch higher from our usual box of pizza or a dish of pasta to a platter of juicy Salt and Pepper Crabs complete with a bowl of salad, dessert and wine!

Red Crab Café is located at the Second Level of The Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

Note: Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.